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Reviews & Guides · Appliances

My Waterdrop C1H and X12 after a year: refills, filters and cleaning

Reviewed: Waterdrop C1H, Waterdrop X12Regional reference: Waterdrop C1H (United States); Waterdrop X12 (United States)

I used the countertop C1H and under-sink X12 for a year: the C1H needed frequent refills in my kitchen, while the X12 made daily water use easier.

A four-panel collage of the owner’s Waterdrop C1H countertop dispenser, X12 smart faucet, removable feed-water tank and X12 unit inside the kitchen cabinet. Chinese labels distinguish countertop and under-sink setups.
The C1H’s removed cylindrical filter lies beside the countertop dispenser. Its top cover below carries an English quick-use guide with tank-refill and flushing diagrams.
The owner’s annotated C1H feed-water tank shows MAX and empty/refill marks. Arrows and Chinese labels explain fresh feed water and returned reject water being cycled through the system; they do not identify separate purified-water and dirty-water compartments.
A dark translucent water tank is positioned beneath a running kitchen faucet over a wet sink. Water reaches the “MAX” mark, and the tank says to empty it when the water is below the line.
The C1H control panel displays 8 oz and 185°F. Chinese callouts identify temperature, dispensing volume, favorite settings, the hot-water lock and the dispensing button.
The C1H’s clear internal pure-water pitcher, marked 1 L/34 oz, is set beside the dispenser after removal. An arrow and Chinese bubble explain that it can be taken out for pouring.
With the C1H top cover removed, the internal pure-water pitcher is reinstalled beside the filter. A Chinese callout says it must be returned before the machine can continue operating.
Two matching Waterdrop descaler sachets, numbered 1 and 2, lie over a partly obscured instruction sheet with feed-tank soaking and unit-flushing stages. Packet 1 is marked 100 g; packet 2 is marked 50 g and says to use it with packet 1. A Chinese callout calls for regular cleaning of the water passages.
The X12 smart faucet displays its UV and filter indicators. F1 and F2 are orange while F3 is blue; the owner’s Chinese note points to an orange indicator as a replacement reminder.
The X12’s open front shows its three filter positions. A removed cartridge labelled WD-X12-F3 lies in the foreground; the owner’s overlay says the filters are huge.
The owner uses an adjustable wrench on the X12 F3 filter handle, with the F2 handle visible above it. A Chinese caption says a wrench was needed to loosen and remove the cartridge.

⭐ I’ve become a longtime Waterdrop user, with two countertop units and one under-sink unit at home. Thanks to Waterdrop for inviting me to share how the countertop C1H and under-sink X12 have worked for me over a year.

⭐ How I use them: The under-sink X12 is installed in my first-floor kitchen, and I keep the C1H in the basement. When I’m downstairs and want a drink—especially hot water—I don’t have to go upstairs.

I’ll introduce the countertop C1H first, then the under-sink X12

🏷 C1H (photos 2–8)

⭐ Features: Reverse-osmosis filtration and heating, with four temperature settings. The highest is 203°F/95°C, which works well for tea and pour-over coffee.

💰 Consumables: It reminds me to replace the filter roughly every 12 months. A filter costs about $80. At the Black Friday discounted price of $312, the running cost works out to $312 plus tax, then about $80 a year.

⭐ Capacity: 3.25 L. Before I had an under-sink unit, I kept the C1H in the kitchen, where two of us had to refill it two or three times a day. In the basement or on the second floor, one refill a day is enough. If I need a lot of water for cooking, I can lift out the small internal pitcher and pour from it, which is convenient (photo 6).

⭐ Wastewater and refilling: I’ve seen lots of questions about how full to fill it and when to empty the wastewater, so I summarized it in text and in photo 3. In short, fill it to MAX. The machine returns reject water to the feed tank and filters the water repeatedly; when there is less fresh feed water than reject water, it tells me to change the water.

⭐ Cleaning: If I won’t use it for more than two or three days, I empty and replace the water, including the water inside the unit. When the machine prompts me to clean it, I run the supplied descaler through it. One supplied 50 g sachet lasts for three or four uses, enough for a year or two.

🏷 Under-sink X12 (photos 9–11)

⭐ Features: Three reverse-osmosis filters, 1200 water pressure, and UV sterilization. It delivers water quickly, and having it connected to the water supply and drain is convenient.

⭐ Consumables: The three filters need replacing at 6, 12 and 24 months, respectively. A two-year combo pack with seven filters costs $500, which works out to the $1,200 unit plus $250 a year. It costs a lot more, but I don’t have to refill or empty water by hand, and the higher water pressure compared with cheaper models makes a real difference in convenience.

⭐ Replacing filters: The faucet has indicator lights, with F1–F3 corresponding to the three filters. An orange light means a filter needs replacing. The filters are very tight; I had to use a wrench for leverage to remove them (photos 9–10). After replacement, the system automatically flushes. Once several liters have drained, it’s ready to use.

⭐ Summary: An under-sink unit suits households that use a lot of water, especially in the kitchen. Using filtered water for cooking means my stainless-steel pots don’t develop scale, and I don’t have to clean my humidifier as often. The downsides are the higher cost and the need to hire someone to install it, which was about $200. The countertop unit is cheaper and feature-packed, but a household of two or more people may need to refill it two or three times a day. It suits someone who wants a low-effort setup in a basement or on a second floor.

🏷 For that Black Friday sale, code 94YKSPGH offered an additional 5% off both models.

Source: 一个不务正业的CFA · Xiaohongshu · 2025-11-22 · 🇨🇦一年反馈|Waterdrop两款净水机. Search this Chinese title in Xiaohongshu to find the original post.

Before You Buy

Models in your region

In this Canadian account dated November 22, 2025, the owner identifies the countertop unit as a C1H and the under-sink unit as an X12. Waterdrop uses those same marketed model names in the United States; the official US pages identify the corresponding products, while the exact source-unit suffix and bundle are not established here. The owner’s year of use is not a performance test of every regional configuration.

Model in this review Related regional model What to know
Waterdrop C1H Waterdrop C1H (United States) The US product shares the C1H name used by the owner. It is a countertop RO model with heating, a removable internal pure-water tank and a C1RF replacement filter; the exact source-unit suffix and bundle are not confirmed.
Waterdrop X12 Waterdrop X12 (United States) The US product shares the owner’s X12 name and is a tankless under-sink RO system with a smart faucet. Its 1200 GPD figure is rated daily production, not water pressure; the owner’s pressure figure has no stated unit.
Model in this review
Waterdrop C1H
Related regional model
Waterdrop C1H (United States)
What to know
The US product shares the C1H name used by the owner. It is a countertop RO model with heating, a removable internal pure-water tank and a C1RF replacement filter; the exact source-unit suffix and bundle are not confirmed.
Model in this review
Waterdrop X12
Related regional model
Waterdrop X12 (United States)
What to know
The US product shares the owner’s X12 name and is a tankless under-sink RO system with a smart faucet. Its 1200 GPD figure is rated daily production, not water pressure; the owner’s pressure figure has no stated unit.

Countertop convenience comes with refill work

The C1H let the owner get hot water in the basement without going upstairs, and its removable internal pitcher could be taken out for pouring. But when the owner kept it in the kitchen, two people needed to refill it two or three times a day; in the basement or on the second floor, one refill a day was enough. The manufacturer lists five temperature choices, including ambient, and heating up to 203°F; the owner describes four temperature settings, with 203°F/95°C as the hottest.

The owner says the C1H alerted them to replace the filter at about 12 months and that it cost around $80. The US manual identifies the replacement as C1RF, rated for up to 12 months, with actual life depending on source water and use. The owner’s descaler reuse estimate is a personal account, not a general dosing schedule. Their photo shows a matching two-agent Waterdrop kit: pack 1 is labelled 100 g, pack 2 is labelled 50 g and says it must be used with pack 1; the partly obscured sheet includes feed-tank soaking and a unit-flushing stage. It does not show a complete protocol. The routine manual separately says to discard stored water after two idle days, clean the pure-water tank after more than 48 hours, and descale the feed tank monthly. Use the complete instructions for the actual kit and model.

Waterdrop C1H · United States

The X12 avoids manual refills, but filter service matters

The owner found the under-sink X12 convenient for kitchen use because it connects to the water supply and drain and delivers water without manual refilling or emptying. They reported needing a wrench to loosen a tight filter. The US manual says to relieve pressure before removing a cartridge and permits using a tool if needed. After replacement and the relevant indicator reset, it specifies flushing F1 for 15 minutes with the faucet open, automatically flushing F2 for 5 minutes, and flushing F3 for 30 minutes with the faucet open. The owner’s recollection of an automatic flush and several liters drained is therefore not a complete procedure for every cartridge.

Waterdrop X12 · United States

The owner reports filter changes at 6, 12 and 24 months, but the US model’s current official mapping is F1A up to 12 months, F2 up to 6 months and X12-F3 up to 24 months. The owner’s shorthand does not establish that their cartridge order or replacement schedule matches the US version. Confirm the filter labels and local replacement guidance before applying the owner’s schedule. The US product’s 1200 GPD is a production rating, not pressure; the owner gives no pressure unit for their 1200 figure, so it cannot support a pressure comparison.

Choose by installation and water-use pattern

The owner’s experience points to a practical distinction: the countertop C1H needs manual filling and emptying, while the under-sink X12 supplies kitchen water through a connected line. The owner says the X12 suited a household using a lot of water and that hired installation cost about $200. The unit, filter and installation amounts and the Black Friday code are historical details from this 2025 Canadian post. The post does not label the currency or establish current US prices, local installation quotes or whether the code still works.

The owner also reports that filtered water left no scale in their stainless-steel pots and reduced how often they cleaned their humidifier. These are household observations, not measured results for every water source or device. The US product information confirms the X12 is a tankless under-sink RO system, but does not establish that every installation or regional configuration will reproduce those outcomes.

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